Wilfried Nancy faces a tough start as the Celtic boss following back-to-back defeats against Hearts and AS Roma in the Premiership and Europa League, respectively. Another massive test awaits the Frenchman on Sunday afternoon, when the Celts will clash heads with St Mirren at Hampden Park in the Scottish League Cup final.
The Buddies locked horns twice with Celtic so far this season, having suffered last-gasp 1-0 defeats on both occasions. They are struggling at the wrong end of the league standings, but at the same time, eliminated Hearts, Kilmarnock and Motherwell en route to securing the Cup final berth. Stephen Robinson would fancy their chance of conquering the silverware, given the Hoops’ current crisis under the French gaffer.
Predicted 3-4-2-1 Celtic Lineup To Face St Mirren
Defence
Despite conceding thrice on Thursday night, Kasper Schmeichel is expected to keep his place between the sticks, as he did against Rangers in the semifinal of this competition. Viljami Sinisalo featured in the previous rounds, but is unlikely to be risked in this trophy-defining fixture.
Nancy’s defensive setup has not worked out so far, yet he should stick to his style of play with Auston Trusty, Liam Scales and Kieran Tierney forming the three-man backline. Injuries to Alistair Johnston, Marcelo Saracchi and Cameron Carter-Vickers decimate hisoptions; however, Anthony Ralston, Colby Donovan, Dane Murray, and Jahmai Simpson-Pusey could still be utilised, even though the latter has been largely overlooked by both Brendan Rodgers and Martin O’Neill.
Midfield
Celtic have ample depth in the centre of the pitch, but the all-round traits of skipper Callum McGregor and Arne Engels make them the regular starters deep down the midfield. They should screen the defence as well as offer overload up top with down-the-middle runs. Paulo Bernardo could be brought in from the bench after a decent second-half display against the Serie A heavyweights.
Jota and James Forrest remain sidelined with their respective injury problems, and Nancy, therefore, should choose from Hyun-Jun Yang, Sebastian Tounekti, Luke McCowan and Miche-Ange Balikwisha while deploying his wide midfielders. Yang and Tounekti should retain their spots for now, as their pace and tricky runs might cause menace in the St Mirren backline.
The Frenchman has opted for two midfield attackers in his 3-4-2-1 formation, and he must make a slight adjustment by shifting Daizen Maeda to a deeper role alongside Reo Hatate. The Japanese pair would offer flexibility during transitions, exhibiting their versatility and creative spark. Benjamin Nygren might lose his place, but he should be introduced as an impact substitute to bring directness high up the pitch.
Attack
The return of Kelechi Iheanacho is a significant boost, as the Nigerian hitman must spearhead the attack as the lone ‘number 9’ ahead of Maeda or Johnny Kenny.
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